February 2001

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Kitchen backsplashes

Sure, tile has style. But when you want to break out of the box, update your kitchen backsplash with these hands-on ideas. They add personality and practicality, allowing the surface to do double duty as a spot for writing notes or displaying pictures.

FAMILY LIBRARIES

A typical family accumulates books, magazines, videos, and memorabilia faster than a speeding minivan. But you don't have to know the Dewey decimal system to get these materials in order. Borrow ideas from the following cataloged collections. The goods are stowed with efficiency and decoration in mind.

DAY INTO NIGHT ROOMS

You may love visits from family and friends, but it's often impractical to maintain a separate guest room when company comes only a few times a year. In the meantime, you have a lot going on, and every square inch of your house is precious. So rethink how you're using your space, and designate a room that can serve dual purposes: functional by day and inviting by night. Relying on clever furniture and flexible arrangements, we'll show you how overnight guests and play/work spaces make a comfortable fit.

Pantry Dyes

Reach to the kitchen cupboards next time you've got a fabric you're dying to color. Dyes and stains made from onion skins, powdered drink mix, or mustard are the recipes for some of nature's richest hues, especially when applied to textural fabrics.

Ottomans

After a hard day of conquest in the 1300s, Turkish armies of the Ottoman Empire probably liked nothing better than relaxing on their low, armless sofas. Centuries later, Victorian English seized this design for themselves. The ottoman had arrived, and it has evolved into a multitasking partner for living room upholstery.

GARDEN LATTICE BACKSPLASH

REAL LIFE DECORATING

Bringing Up the Rear

Chances are pretty good that your home's back or side door sees a lot more in-and-out traffic than the front entry-- and too often all that traffic traipses directly through the kitchen or main living area. A mudroom stops everyone in their tracks, at least long enough to shed muddy footwear, wet coats, and other messy stuff that need go no farther.

His-and-Her Closets

Gaining ample storage is more a matter of strategy than financial outlay. Do you need to add a closet? Could you make the closets you already have work harder by reorganizing them? Here are examples of both approaches.

Decorating shop

Off to Work We Go

By the end of her sophomore year in high school, Morgan Wilson will choose a career. Then, for the next two years, the teenager will take a series of classes exploring that career area.

No More Yelling!

As conflict escalates between parents and children in the home, too often the volume gets turned up as well. But parents who resort to yelling-- usually in a desperate attempt to get their child's attention or in response to some misbehavior-- often find that not only are angry words upsetting, but also ineffective.

Clearing the Air at Home

Did You Know?

IDENTIFY IRRITANTS

PRACTICE PREVENTION

Safest Midsize SUVs

The BMW X5 joins Mercedes and Lexus models on the insurance industry's elite list of midsize sport/utility vehicles (SUVs) likely to protect you best in a crash.

Expect the Unexpected

Inside-Out

Rustlers in Your Garden

Show Climbers the Way

Green-Eyed Peas?

READER SHOPPING

Indoor Trees For All Year-Round

Now that your Christmas tree is but a memory, here's a proposal to forest the house forever. Many trees are quite happy indoors. They don't seem as fussy-- in looks or care-- as little potted plants, and they make a bolder statement. This tall gardenia (above) is limbed, clipped, and-- ah!-- fragrant.

Cozy in a big way

Paula Manchester's home sits snug and secluded in a lush landscape. But it hasn't always been that way. Ten years ago her small corner lot offered no privacy, and the flat terrain was as stark as a putting green. Here's how Paula, a self-taught gardener, transformed her world.

Classic & clean colonial style

Bill Thomas enjoys giving his wife, Susan, a hard time about the furniture she buys: "She won't even consider it unless it's old, falling apart, and costs a lot of money!" Sound familiar? Now take a look at Susan's smooth comeback-- a sophisticated update on Colonial style that's so soothing Bill has nothing left to carp about. Serenity snuggles in thanks to creamy, crewel-covered chairs (above) and Susan's collection of sculptural ironstone, showcased one piece at a time.

Relaxation rooms

Home has traditionally provided an escape from the business meetings, pop quizzes, traffic jams, and other worries of the day. But the idea of leaving everything behind as you pull into your driveway is more like a dream than a reality. As the home expands to include functions once kept at the office and school, getting away means setting aside an escape where you live. Consider this your relaxation room. It could be a screen porch dedicated entirely to kicking back, or maybe just a cozy corner of your bedroom. Go ahead, swap the grainy glare of a computer screen for the soft sounds of a jazzy CD. No meetings, no quizzes, no traffic jams.

Kitchens with character

One-of-a-kind kitchens are often flavored by their settings or their owners' personalities-- or both. Join us for a pictorial tour of two character-laden kitchens that purposefully stray from the norm. The farmhouse-style kitchen shown above blends beautifully with its setting-- a 1920s-era home with a distinctively French accent. The second kitchen, which was reshaped, refurnished, and reborn as a nonconformist, expresses its owners' bent for whimsy and surprise.

HEART CUTTERS

MICROPLANE GRATER/ZESTER

MAKING BREAD WITH KIDS

Teaching Is Best for Your Heart

How long do you brush?

Botox

The Agony of DaFeet

Exercise Can Help Depression

GOT CHEST PAIN? CALL 911

Getting Your Vitamins

Experts recommend a boost in antioxidants, but they say it's not necessary to spend megabucks on megadoses of vitamins.

Winter Skin Care

In winter, your skin may feel like a slab of beef forgotten in the freezer: The longer it sits, the dryer it gets.

The heart of the matter

Kissin' frogs: That's one way to find the prince or princess of your dreams. But there's an easier-- and less icky-- way. Express your friendship by making one of our heartfelt Valentine's Day cards or other special-day projects.

The Shopper's Mart

Discover the ease and pleasure of shopping by mail. Order with comfort and convenience from your own home.

The family next door